Guilford County Courthouse
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Why it's listed
Guilford County Courthouse is a five-story classical building at the heart of Greensboro's government center. Designed by Greensboro architect Harry Barton and built by William P. Rose, it opened in April 1920 and replaced a courthouse from 1873 that was demolished in 1919. It was the county's seventh courthouse, following a line of structures that began with a log building in 1773. The symmetrical east and west facades have ashlar walls above a rusticated basement, fluted Ionic pilasters, a stone balustrade and a pedimented six-column portico. Inside, marble wainscots, molded ceiling beams and iron stair railings accompany a two-story second-floor courtroom with Corinthian pilasters, Doric columns, a coffered ceiling and tablets of the Ten Commandments. In 1974 the building became part of a complex with two modern structures on a terraced plaza. Its form and materials harmonize with the newer buildings, and it is regarded as one of North Carolina's most sophisticated classical public buildings.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of architect Harry Barton's most imposing Neo-Classical Revival courthouses and one of North Carolina's most sophisticated classical public buildings. It was the county's seventh courthouse and served as the seat of county government from 1920. It also forms a harmonious link with the modern county complex built around it in the 1970s.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79001714, listed May 10, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Market St., Greensboro |
|---|---|
| County | Guilford County |
| Listed | May 10, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001714 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Harry Barton, architect; William P. Rose, builder |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical Revival (also described as Renaissance Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Served as a courthouse from 1920; since 1974 it has been part of a county government complex combining the old and new courthouses. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.07224, -79.79264 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79001714.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18706146
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.